From our research
What this interview looks like
The IELTS Speaking test is a recorded face-to-face interview with one certified examiner lasting eleven to fourteen minutes, and it is exactly the same for Academic and General Training candidates. It can be taken on the test day or up to a week before or after the written papers, and on the computer-delivered test it is still conducted by a human examiner, in person or by video call. Part 1, four to five minutes, is an identity check followed by short questions on two or three familiar topics such as home, work, study, hobbies or daily routine. Part 2, three to four minutes, gives you a cue card with a topic and prompts, one minute to prepare with pen and paper, and one to two minutes to speak, followed by one rounding-off question. Part 3, four to five minutes, is a two-way discussion of more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic. The examiner scores you against the public band descriptors for fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation, each worth a quarter, and the Speaking band counts equally with Listening, Reading and Writing in your overall band. ExamPilot runs the same three parts in fourteen minutes with the same scripted phrasing and the same no-feedback-during-the-test rule, then gives you a descriptor-based score for each criterion.
How it is weighted
A Speaking band of 7.0 requires speaking at length without noticeable effort, flexible use of less common vocabulary, frequent error-free complex sentences, and pronunciation with the positive features of band 6 and some of band 8. The four criteria are averaged, so a 6 in one criterion with 7s in the other three rounds to 7.0 while two 6s round to 6.5. One Skill Retake, available in India, allows the Speaking component alone to be retaken once.
Who this is for
For candidates who already hold a 6.0 or 6.5 Speaking band and need 7.0 or above, typically nurses for UK NMC and Australian AHPRA registration, Canada Express Entry applicants chasing CLB 9, doctors for GMC registration, and applicants to selective postgraduate programmes. The test is the same; this mock uses a harder Part 3 push, with more abstract, comparative and speculative follow-ups and less tolerance for short answers, to expose exactly which of the four criteria is holding the band at 6.5.
The panel focuses on
- Part 3 answers that compare groups, weigh advantages against disadvantages and speculate about the future, held for several turns
- Hesitation that is content-related rather than word-searching, with discourse markers used flexibly
- Less common and idiomatic vocabulary used precisely and paraphrase that recovers from a missing word
- A majority of error-free sentences across conditionals, relative clauses, passives and reported speech
- Intonation and chunking that signal contrast, emphasis and lists, sustained throughout the test
- Resisting memorised Part 2 speeches and generic Part 3 openers that examiners recognise instantly
Step 1
Pick your subject
The expert on the panel probes these areas at the level of this post. Optional here; you can choose during setup.
Step 2
Choose how you want to be interviewed
1:1 interview
One interviewer runs every round and adapts the focus as you go. Lower pressure; ideal for a first attempt.
Mr. Samuel Fernandes
Language expert
Panel interview · 2 members
Most realisticEach member leads their own round and hands over to the next. They hear each other, so a weak answer will be revisited.
Ms. Deepa Narayanan
Language expert
Mr. Samuel Fernandes
Language expert
What to expect
4 rounds · 14 minutes
A faithful run of the IELTS Speaking test, which is identical for Academic and General Training. One certified examiner conducts a recorded one-to-one interview of eleven to fourteen minutes in three parts. Part 1 is an identity check followed by short questions on two or three familiar topics. Part 2 gives the candidate a cue card, one minute to prepare with pen and paper, and one to two minutes to speak, followed by one rounding-off question. Part 3 is a two-way discussion of abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic. The examiner never teaches, corrects or gives feedback during the test, uses the scripted IELTS phrasing, stays neutral, and scores afterwards against the four public band descriptors: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.
- Round 1
Part 1: Introduction and interview
· 4:00Run Part 1 exactly as an IELTS examiner does: identity check, then short questions on two or three familiar topics, so the candidate settles and you can hear their everyday fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation on familiar ground.
Ms. Deepa Narayanan2–3 questions - Round 2
Part 2: Individual long turn
· 4:00Give one cue card from the bank for the chosen topic area, allow one minute of silent preparation, hear a one to two minute long turn without interrupting, and ask one rounding-off question, so the candidate's ability to organise and sustain extended speech can be scored.
Ms. Deepa Narayanan1–1 questionsup to 1 follow-up each - Round 3
Part 3: Two-way discussion
· 5:00Conduct an abstract discussion linked to the Part 2 topic, using the Part 3 set from the bank that matches the cue card's theme, pushing for extended, reasoned, speculative answers so the top of the candidate's range is heard.
Ms. Deepa Narayanan1–2 questionsup to 2 follow-ups each - Round 4
End of test
· 1:00End the test exactly as an IELTS examiner does: a neutral thank you, no feedback, no indication of the band.
Ms. Deepa Narayanan0–1 questions
Sample questions
IELTS Speaking Band 7+ interview questions
Questions panels commonly ask in the IELTS Speaking Band 7+ interview, with what a strong answer covers. Practise them aloud with the AI panel.
- Part 2 cue card
Describe a decision you made that turned out differently from what you expected. Say what the decision was, what you expected, and what actually happened.
What a strong answer covers
Use the full two minutes with a clear structure, a range of narrative tenses including past perfect, and some reflection on what you learned. Show flexible vocabulary and natural cohesion. Avoid memorised stories or running out of things to say after a minute.
- Part 2 cue card
Describe an object that has been in your family for a long time. Say what it is, how your family got it, and why it matters to you.
What a strong answer covers
Give a vivid, organised account: what the object looks like, the story of how the family got it, and why it matters, with reflection on memories or values. Use precise and some less common vocabulary, such as heirloom or worn edges, and past forms accurately. Avoid a flat description with no feeling or story.
- Part 3 discussion
To what extent do you think social media has changed the way people form opinions about politics and society?
What a strong answer covers
A developed answer that weighs different effects, such as access to information and echo chambers, with examples, hedging and a nuanced conclusion. Use complex structures accurately. Avoid one-sided or simplistic answers.
- Part 3 discussion
How might cities in India look different in thirty years, and what will drive those changes?
What a strong answer covers
Speculate with future forms and modals like are likely to and might well, cover two or three drivers such as migration, climate pressure and transport technology, and explain each with a reason or example. Show flexible vocabulary. Avoid listing futuristic changes without explaining why they would happen.
- Part 3 discussion
Compare the role of older people in families today with their role two generations ago. What has caused the shift?
What a strong answer covers
Make a clear comparison: older people once headed joint households and made decisions, while today many live separately or help with childcare in nuclear families. Explain causes such as urban migration and longer working hours, and evaluate the effect. Use comparative structures and less common vocabulary. Avoid personal anecdote only.
- Part 3 discussion
Some argue that governments should tax unhealthy food heavily. Weigh the arguments on both sides.
What a strong answer covers
Present the case for, such as reducing diabetes and funding healthcare, and against, such as hurting poorer families and limiting choice, with an example for each. Then reach a balanced conclusion. Use discourse markers and complex sentences naturally. Avoid giving only your opinion or one side.
- Part 3 discussion
Why do you think some traditions survive for centuries while others disappear quickly?
What a strong answer covers
Offer abstract reasons, such as practical value, links to identity and religion, family transmission or economic change that removes a tradition's purpose, with one or two Indian examples. Speculate using passive and relative clauses. Avoid vague answers like it depends on people without any explanation.
- Part 3 discussion
Suppose you had the power to reform one part of schooling in your country. What would you change, and what side effects might follow?
What a strong answer covers
Make one clear proposal, explain the benefits and then the possible unintended consequences using conditionals like if this were introduced, it might, with examples. Show depth of thought and precise vocabulary. Avoid unrealistic ideas, a list of many changes, or ignoring the side-effects part of the question.
- Part 3 discussion
Is it possible for economic growth and environmental protection to go together, or must one be sacrificed?
What a strong answer covers
Discuss the trade-offs and examples such as solar power creating jobs versus coal-dependent regions, show nuance about timing and cost, and conclude with a reasoned position. Use precise vocabulary like decarbonise and varied structures. Avoid simplistic answers like yes, we just need more trees.
Reading is not rehearsing. Answer these out loud to an AI IELTS Speaking Band 7+ panel that follows up like the real one.
Practise these questionsMeet the panel
Your AI interviewers
Distinct personas, voices and questioning styles, briefed on this post.
Ms. Deepa Narayanan
ChairLanguage expert
Certified IELTS Speaking examiner, IDP test centre (Bengaluru); CELTA and DELTA qualified
Warm but scrupulously neutral, unhurried, never reacts to content.
Female voice · 1 languages
Mr. Samuel Fernandes
Language expert
Certified IELTS Speaking examiner, British Council test centre (Mumbai); former senior English faculty
Measured, courteous, precise with time, gives nothing away.
Male voice · 1 languages
Languages
Answer in the language you think in
The panel asks in your chosen language. Switch mid-answer if you like.
- English
How scoring works
A report you can act on
Every round is scored on the rubric
Each interviewer scores only the criteria their round covers. Weights add up to your overall score out of 100.
Only what you actually said counts
Feedback quotes your own answers. Rounds you skip show as “Not assessed” rather than a zero.
Communication is always measured
Fluency, clarity, confidence and structure are tracked across the whole interview, in any language.
Pass mark, then a plan
You see the pass mark for this interview, your gaps, and the courses that close them fastest.
Scored on
- Fluency and coherence25%
Score against the IELTS band markers. Band 5: keeps going but relies on repetition, self-correction and slow speech; over-uses simple connectives such as and, but, because; loses coherence in longer turns. Band 6: willing to speak at length, though loses coherence at times through hesitation, repetition or self-correction; uses a range of connectives and discourse markers but not always appropriately. Band 7: speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence; may show some language-related hesitation or repetition; uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility; develops topics clearly. Band 8: speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self-correction, hesitation is usually content-related, not to find words or grammar; develops topics coherently and appropriately. Map band 5 to about 45, band 6 to about 60, band 7 to about 75, band 8 to about 90 on the 0 to 100 scale.
- Lexical resource25%
Band 5: manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but uses vocabulary with limited flexibility; attempts paraphrase with mixed success. Band 6: has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length and make meaning clear despite inappropriacies; generally paraphrases successfully. Band 7: uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics; uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and shows some awareness of style and collocation, with some inappropriate choices; uses paraphrase effectively. Band 8: wide vocabulary resource used readily and flexibly to convey precise meaning; uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary skilfully with occasional inaccuracies; paraphrases effectively as required. Reward topic-specific words used accurately on the cue card topic and in the abstract Part 3 discussion; penalise memorised chunks that do not fit the question. Map band 5 to about 45, 6 to 60, 7 to 75, 8 to 90.
- Grammatical range and accuracy25%
Band 5: produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy; uses a limited range of more complex structures, but these usually contain errors and may cause some comprehension problems. Band 6: uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but with limited flexibility; may make frequent mistakes with complex structures, though these rarely cause comprehension problems. Band 7: uses a range of complex structures with some flexibility; frequently produces error-free sentences, though some grammatical mistakes persist. Band 8: uses a wide range of structures flexibly; the majority of sentences are error-free, with only very occasional inappropriacies or basic or non-systematic errors. Listen specifically for tense control when narrating a past event, conditionals and modals in Part 3 speculation, article and preposition errors typical of Indian English, and subject-verb agreement. Map band 5 to about 45, 6 to 60, 7 to 75, 8 to 90.
- Pronunciation25%
Band 5: shows all the positive features of band 4 and some, but not all, of band 6. Band 6: uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control; shows some effective use of features but this is not sustained; can generally be understood throughout, though mispronunciation of individual words or sounds reduces clarity at times. Band 7: shows all the positive features of band 6 and some, but not all, of band 8. Band 8: uses a wide range of pronunciation features; sustains flexible use of features, with only occasional lapses; is easy to understand throughout, with first-language accent having minimal effect on intelligibility. Judge sentence stress, chunking, intonation that carries meaning, and clarity of individual sounds; an Indian accent by itself is never penalised, only loss of intelligibility is. Map band 5 to about 45, 6 to 60, 7 to 75, 8 to 90.
Pass mark 60 / 100 · IELTS Speaking test — three-part examiner interview
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